Taipei, Sept. 22 (BNA) The government said Thursday that Taiwan aims to end the mandatory COVID-19 quarantine for arrivals from around October 13 and will ease other restrictions from next week as it continues to open up to the outside world. .
Taiwan kept some entry and quarantine rules in place as large parts of the rest of Asia relaxed or lifted those rules altogether, although in June it reduced the number of days required for isolation for arrivals to three from seven previously, Reuters reported.
Taiwan has reported six million domestic cases since the start of the year, driven by the more contagious Omicron formula. More than 99% of those are asymptomatic or only showing mild symptoms, Reuters reported, and the government has relaxed rather than tightened restrictions in the “new Taiwan model”.
Cabinet spokesman Lu Ping-cheng told reporters that from next Thursday, visa-free entry will be resumed for citizens of all countries that previously had such status. He said the government would also increase the weekly arrival limits for international travelers by 10,000 to 60,000, with no more PCR tests for arrivals.
If “everything is under control”, Lu said, the government aims to end the mandatory quarantine of all arrivals from around October 13, while increasing the number of arrivals to 150,000 per week.
“This is the last mile in our fight against the pandemic,” he said after a weekly cabinet meeting, adding that the government is making all necessary preparations to reopen its door to international tourists and revive local businesses hit by the previous coronavirus. restrictions.
The government said that those who have tested positive for the virus still need to be quarantined at home or in designated hotels.
While the vaccination rate in Taiwan is high, the daily number of cases has risen again, with more than 46,000 cases reported on Wednesday.
Throughout the epidemic, Taiwan citizens and foreign residents have not been prohibited from leaving and then returning, but have been forced to quarantine at home or in hotels for up to two weeks.
Before the epidemic, Taiwan was a popular tourist destination for mainly Asian visitors, and Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia were the most important markets.
MI